I like Flat Pedals and Kick Stands and riding in a dress.

Bike Friendly

November 21, 2013

I respond to the Friday Dispatch article “More Ohioans die on road in 2012.” Ohio’s rate of crashes is so high, it has even raised the national statistics, which means we are lagging other states in taking action to address safety on our roadways.

As part of this phenomenon, we are seeing a dramatic increase in the number of men and women killed while bicycling or walking on our roadways each year. We know that young people want to live in communities which embrace safe, active transportation. Ohio needs to do more.

People who bike and walk make up 16 percent of roadway fatalities, and yet less than 1 percent of safety funding is directed to infrastructure that would protect those biking and walking. A coalition of bipartisan House lawmakers has introduced the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Act, which will require the U.S. Department of Transportation to set specific safety targets for all roadway users — not just motorists, but pedestrians and bicyclists, too.

The legislation would give the U.S. Department of Transportation the flexibility to determine the best method to meet these safety measures, and call on our leaders to reduce the number of people who are killed or injured on our streets every year.

This bill says clearly that the lives of all roadway users are important, and creates accountability toward preventing needless deaths. Without it, people who bike and walk will remain in the blind spot of our transportation system.

Please contact your congressional representative along with Sens. Rob Portman and Sherrod Brown to ask them to vote for this straightforward, bipartisan bill, the Bicycle and Pedestrian Safety Act.

March 25, 2013

The National Bike Challenge is back for 2013 and a month longer this year. It starts May 1 and goes until September 30 this year.

Consider Biking will be hosting the Greater Columbus contest as well as supporting in other parts of the state. No matter where you live, when you sign up, you will be grouped in the correct challenge for your geographic area.

You can sign up today and starting gathering points during the warm-up period. Then May 1 all points reset to zero for the Challenge Period.

Make sure to get the mobile application for Endomondo, it makes ride logging very easy.

July 24, 2012

Check out a bike at Copenhagen’s ‘bike library’

Sure you can get around town on a standard bike — two wheels, a few gears, and a couple brakes — but there are also cargo bikes, electric bikes, folding bikes, recumbents, and even velomobiles. But these specialty bikes are expensive, so most people just stick to what’s familiar, and within the budget.

At Copenhagen’s Bicycle Innovation Lab, you can take these specialty bikes for a spin for days at a time using the organization’s “bicycle library.” Put down an $80 deposit and ride around on the bike for three to four days at a time. The idea behind the library is to give people the opportunity to test ride these more expensive bikes so that potential customers can get a better idea if they’re worth the investment.

“I see myself as a bicycle psychologist,” said Lasse Schelde, manager of the Bicycle Innovation Lab. “It’s about exploring the possibilities of bicyclism — it is an ‘ism’ because it’s not just a bicycle but a question of infrastructure, livable cities, health, the relationship between you as a person and society.”

It’s no surprise that Copenhageners would be interested in exploring different ways to get around on bike. The city is one of the best when it comes to bikeability. One-third of commuters do so by bike. And the city has answered demand by building a free bike share program and a new cycling superhighway. Now you just might see people using the new infrastructure with a fancy ride.

March 18, 2012

I continue to be amazed by the so called bike advocates in this town who fight against bike accomodations like bike lanes and a bike share system. It is no wonder the city is kind of slow in their implementation of bike stuff, they are gun shy. This fall the city started installing bike shelters - nice covered bike rack areas and then suddenly some bike riders are crapping their pants that they cost too much! The city has also installed many miles of sharrows and they can't catch a break - half the people say sharrows suck and are not good enough - we MUST have bike lanes. The other half hate them because they believe it makes car drivers think that a bicyclist is ONLY allowed to ride on streets that have the bike markings.

We are up for the bikes belong Green Lanes Project and I really hope they choose Columbus. If any city could benefit from having some PROFESSIONAL and unbiased guidance - it is this place! What a challenge we will be. Part of the problem here is that you have hundreds of bike advocates with different ideas of what it is going to take to make the city better for bike riders. I am pretty convinced that a handful of them have NO interest in getting more people out there to join them, they just want to make it better for the brave people that already ride. They really don't want to deal with the mainstream people that would join the roads if it really was a more bike friendly city.

Here is the video from the Green Lanes project. Man oh Man I hope they pick us, then get ready for the hardest work ahead - getting this disparate group of passionate advocates to actualy start pedaling together in a constructive, productive direction.

It's just that his title puzzles me, is he questioning the journalist integrity of Columbus Underground or Consider Biking? I guess either way the next step is to take it up with our respective editorial review boards.

I often try to give the impression that I don't care about stuff, but honestly, I care a lot. I care that a reader can feel assured that he/she can state facts found on this blog and be able to quote this blog without making an ass of his/herself. Sure I

I will summarize my beef so that readers who are uninterested in bicycle gossip can live their lives. A press statement (discussed below) had some inaccuracies whilst reporting on the state of bicycling in Columbus. With that said, Columbus could be a lot more bike friendly which includes increasing bicycling infrastructure.

Recently, Consider Biking has been working on "Connect the Core" which aims to add bicycle lanes or bicycle tracks downtown. Within their summary, the cost for 12+ miles of bike lanes would cost ~$140,000, this is less than what we've been spending on the bike shelters. Although I'm iffy on bike lanes, that's a relatively good price and sometimes a city should just dive in.

December 04, 2011

The calendar says December, but the weather still says October. No complaints here, and if the “weather suits your clothes” as the song says, keep riding outdoors. The three month indoor ride to nowhere will start soon enough.

The first stop on tonight’s tour takes us south to the capitol of our fair state, Columbus, Ohio, and a conversation with Jody Dzuranin, Operations Manager for Consider Biking. Consider Biking serves ‘people who pedal’ in the Columbus and surrounding area of Ohio. Jody will bring us up to date on their Open Streets initiative, and progress on the Ohio-to-Erie Trail, among other exciting opportunities for cyclists.

Regardless of how warm (or cold) it is, daylight is at a premium this time of year. Our second guest can help with that if you want or need to ride at night safely and legally. We’re joined by Thomas Prehn, President of Cateye America. Thomas has news about some very cool lights, including USB-rechargeable models inexpensive enough to fit in your Christmas stocking (hint, hint).

October 14, 2011

I ride bikes, but I am not what I'd call a "cyclist". I do try to ride a little on most days, weather permitting. (However, it is Ohio and we do get 4 seasons). I have a Raleigh Technium I bought new in '88, it's my road bike which goes on car trips and rides around home. At work, I have a Giant Simple Cruiser, I got it last year 2nd hand, it's great for errands around Clintonville. We added a third bike this year, a Dahon Folding bike, speed Uno, purchased at the Bike-Pgh BikeFest kickoff party. I say "we" because it is Steve's too, though I use it more. It's easy to keep in the car and have an instant bike at the ready! (A fellow bike advocate named it "Foldie Hawn")

August 22, 2011

My teammate Jess and I have been doing a little bicycle experiment lately...Dressing up to ride bikes, Skirts, heels, etc. (Actually Jess has been riding chic for awhile, but I just started this summer). When we're biking in style, it seems we get noticed more and as a result the cars drive slower and steer clear. I guess it started as an experiment, but then I realized, wow it seems safer riding when I am dressed like a girl. It's out of the ordinary, so people take notice.

There seems to be a contingent of "Safe Cycling Advocates" that believes safety means a reflective vest and other equipment to get the driver to notice you. I am suggesting there is another way to be noticed on the road.

How about a video and/or print campaign, that shows attractive ladies riding bikes dressed up in skirts and heels.

The messages:

Ride Sexy

Drive like they're all pretty girls!

I have also dressed like a clown for various meetings and that again, seems more safe because it is eye catching.

be different, be safe

Be weird, Be seen

Biking is no time to be a wallflower

After dark:

For night time, I realize there is no substitute for good lighting, but the lighting can be sexy too! Project Aura: Bicycle Safety Lighting System

Why Sexy for Safety? I believe our goal is really to decrease the overall odds of a crash or fatality. I don't believe our goal is that every rider is going to be a safe rider. What we need is more riders in general and that will mean some safe and some unsafe riders. The fact that we have more riders will decrease the accident statistic because there is a larger number in the denominator. It's statistical safety. Our efforts should be placed on getting more people on bikes and less focus on getting all riders to be safe riders. When we do things purely about "good safety" it reinforces the message that bicycling is unsafe and scary; which turns people away from riding altogether. The bicycle message should focus on making bikes appear fun and cool so the casual rider (especially females) are willing to try it out.

November 23, 2010

ACTING ON A SIMPLE SOLUTION – NATIONAL BIKE SUMMIT

There are more people riding bikes than ever. Yet half of all U.S. trips are three miles or less, and more than 90 percent are made by car. The National Bike Summit has improved bicycle-friendliness and livability in many communities, but the need and opportunity to improve physical activity, safety and livability in the U.S., while reducing congestion, greenhouse gas emissions and our dependence on oil – remains greater today than a decade ago.

These issues seem difficult to solve but the answer is simple.The answer is the bicycle. Now is the time to ask Congress to make strategic transportation investments that foster healthy people and healthy communities. Join us March 8-10 in Washington, D.C. to act on a simple solution – the bicycle.

KEYNOTE SPEAKER ANNOUNCED

Janette Sadik-Khan, the Commissioner of the New York City Department of Transportation, is the keynote speaker at the National Bike Summit's opening plenary, Wednesday March 9.